We evaluated the usefulness of a treatment manual to facilitate the use of long-acting injectable risperidone in community
mental health centers (CMHCs) during an open-label observational study. Perceived clinical utility and clinician adherence
to the manual were evaluated. Patient adherence to treatment satisfaction, Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S)
and the Schizophrenia Quality-of-Life Scale (SQLS) were assessed. Mean score for overall utility of the guidebook was 4.2 ± .6
(scale ratings ranged from 1 = not at all to 5 = extremely). Most clinicians (89–100%) found the guidebook useful, and were
adherent to key aspects of appropriate treatment use including concomitant oral risperidone use and injection and dosing parameters
for long-acting risperidone. Most patients were adherent to treatment (86.7%), preferred long-acting risperidone over oral
risperidone (72.6%) or other oral antipsychotics (78.4%) and were satisfied with long-acting risperidone (90.1%). The open-label
observational design limits interpretation of these data. However, in this study manual-supported use of long-acting risperidone
was associated with successful implementation of this pharmacologic treatment in the CMHC setting.
Keywords long-acting risperidone - treatment manual
These data were presented, in part, at the 157th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, May 1–6, 2004, New
York, USA.
John P. Docherty is affiliated with Comprehensive Neuroscience Inc., White Plains, NY, USA
Robert Jones is affiliated with Medical Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc, Titusville, NJ, USA
Ibrahim Turkoz is affiliated with Quantitative Methodology, Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC,
Titusville, NJ, USA
Robert A. Lasser is affiliated with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, Raritan, NJ, USA